


glory and gore (go hand in hand)

by Forestgreengirl



Series: so wake me up when this is over (when im wiser and im older) [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Brotherly Angst, CC-2224 | Cody Needs a Hug, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, Hurt No Comfort, Minor CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Post-Order 66, Suicidal Thoughts, Umbara Mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23340853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forestgreengirl/pseuds/Forestgreengirl
Summary: There’s so few of the clone troopers left, the empire had seen to that. Cody only wishes Rex wasn’t going to be another number piled on top.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: so wake me up when this is over (when im wiser and im older) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1678885
Comments: 1
Kudos: 87





	glory and gore (go hand in hand)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Crab_Lad](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crab_Lad/gifts).



> no copyright!!
> 
> warning: implied suicidal thoughts, general angst + Star Wars bullshit.

This was one of the few times that Cody was completely lucid, usually everything that made him  _ him _ , was buried beneath layers upon layers of orders and stupid  _ Sith tricks.  _ Thankfully his mind was cut off from the chip for the time being, he was safely in control of his own mind for now. The empire had not been around long, Rex was still here (he knew deep down that wouldn’t last long. Rex was too restless waiting for a chance. He didn’t want to think about what that meant for him.) 

He was completely and painfully aware of everything going on, especially the raging headache that came with breaking out of control. It was that and the knowledge of just what he’s done that was making him shaky and tense. His gut still clenched in anguish when he thought about the order he gave, and everything that followed. He still wasn’t sure if Obi-Wan was alive. 

With having not been sent on any recent missions, Rex had decided that grilling into Cody was the best way to pass the same; much to Cody’s irritation. 

“Cody, all I’m saying is that we should try and attack before the empire rises to full power.”

“What rise? They’re already in power, everybody obeys them,” Cody answers, starting to attach the latches of his Stormtrooper armour, “and we’re not supposed to be attacking, we’re supposed to be playing the long game.”

“The long game is only forcing us to watch our brothers be killed, and for us to stand by and do nothing.”

“Usually I’m not exactly doing nothing during those times.” Cody remarks tiredly, having had this argument a hundred times before. 

“I know you’re not! But we are sitting here  _ useless _ while our brothers are being slaughtered in front of us; there’s not many of us left now, Cody.” 

“I  _ know _ that Rex, but we can’t be idiots about this, they don’t deserve our false hope-“

“But-“ Cody cuts him off.

“No listen to me, our brothers don’t need us getting ourselves needlessly murdered for no reason.”

“There is a reason.” Rex finishes saying sulkily, turning his back on Cody to finish up his own armour straps.

It’s not like Cody doesn’t want to do anything, because he does; he wants to tear the empire down with his bare hands, he wants to scream and rage and he  _ cry  _ about what happened, wants to tear Vader limb for limb for what he’s done; but he can’t, because his brothers still  _ need  _ him, Rex still needs him. He can’t just abandon them now. He won't be like Fox, and he won't be like Wolffe. 

The empire is awful to be around, it oozes pain and despair as easily as the Jedi exuded light, and safety. The war was horrible to be around, watching his brothers fall one by one, it made Cody want to scream until he couldnt scream anymore; but at least in the war they were dying for a reason. Here in the empire? They fall because Vader says so, or because the Natborns find it funny.

Cody knows he should fear Vader, the robotic man had the power to kill him easier than breathing, but Cody has felt real fear, has felt it clogging up his senses and flooding his blood-stream, he's felt fear and he's seen horror; and Vader is  _ nothing _ in comparison. Honestly he just finds Vader pathetic, the man doesn't dare do anything without Sideous’s approval. Vader is not even worth Cody’s fear, or his rage. 

Rex hates the empire so much more than Cody ever could, where Cody is quiet sadness, and quiet anger, Rex is boiling hatred and snarled words. Some days Cody mourns his little brother, his little brother who always knew what to say in the face of hopelessness, his stubborn, determined,  _ idiot _ of a brother. Somewhere between the betrayal, and the order, and watching their brothers blood spill for people who couldn't care less, somewhere between all that Rex started to lose himself. Cody could relate, sometimes there's a grief so large there's nothing you can do but change yourself so you don't drown under the weight. 

Rex apparently didn't know when to stop talking, thats a trait that hasn't changed; Rex still doesn't know when to stop pushing and just leave Cody alone to simmer quietly. Cody is fully aware that Rex partly blames Cody for the order, and what followed. Some days, Cody agrees with him.

“You know, this wouldn't of happened if you had just  _ listened  _ to me.” Rex snarls, back to Cody as he glares angrily into the steel door. 

“What?”   
  
“This could have all been avoided if you had just listened to me when I told you about the chips! I tried to warn you!”

“You had just watched almost all of your troops die, forgive me if I didn't exactly think you were in your best state of mind!” 

Rex doesn't respond, and Cody can see him grinding his teeth from where he's turned to glare angrily at Cody. Cody regrets bringing up Umbara almost immediately, that event screwed Rex up more than Cody could ever truly understand. Cody goes to pull on his helmet, turning his back on Rex; sure that the younger man wouldn't do anything where they could be caught at any moment. 

The way Rex lunges at him, a shaking hand clutches the front of Cody’s stretched shirt; it surprises him, Rex has always been angry and yeah they've thought, they're brothers, but this is a different type of anger to what they used to feel; this is a cold and consuming rage. Cody feels the fog of anger start to cloud his mind as well. He really doesn't want to fight Rex now, there's so few of them left; they can't afford to fight with each other.

“Let  _ go of me,  _ Rex. Now.”

“No! Why don't you care, why don't you care about what's happening?!”   
  


“You think I don't care? Rex if anything I care  _ more  _ than you ever could.” 

“Well you sure as kriff aren't trying to do anything to stop it.” 

Cody doesn't know whether to be more hurt or angry at the fact Rex thinks that. He loves his brother but he really doesn't know  _ anything.  _ Cody isn't openly spitting rage and tearing things apart because it won't  _ change  _ anything, being angry won't bring Obi-Wan back, or Skywalker, being sad wont bring back his fallen brothers, or the ghosts of his brothers. Cody is dealing with it in the only way he knows how to; he's distancing himself. Its the only way he's going to stop himself from putting his blaster through his skull.

“I'm not doing anything about it? Oh i'm so sorry Rex, sorry that i'm not being a goddamn  _ idiot _ and trying to get myself killed. You're certainly not doing our brothers any favours, rushing to go get yourself killed.” 

“At least im kriffing doing something! If I didn't know any better, I’d say you didn't really care what the empire does.” 

Cody really didn't want to fight with Rex, he was trying to avoid but the man just crossed a line. Cody sees red, he pulls back a closed fist before slamming it directly into Rex’s nose, feeling the bone crack under his hand and the coppery blood immediately begin gushing. Rex tries to stop the bleeding, eventually he grows tired and slams the armoured padding of his shoulder directly into Cody’s collarbone. Cody feels something crack inside him, he's not feeling any pain but that might be because of the adrenaline flooding his body. It did always keep the pain away whenever he’s on the battlefield, apparently it’s doing the same now.

“Don't you dare say that Rex. Don't you kriffing dare. What I did in the order, what I’m doing now is going to  _ haunt  _ me until I die. I fired on my  _ general!  _ On the man that I  _ loved!  _ I killed  _ children.  _ You don’t just move on from that! You don't get to dictate how I deal with that.” Cody growls, blood soaked hands twitching next to him.

“No but I do get to choose how when it's my  _ brothers  _ that are dying now, under  _ your _ command again,” Cody doesn't respond, he can feel himself slipping away as the grief sets in, “Well  _ Kote,  _ you always wanted glory when we were cadets; what about now? Is this the glory you wanted? Because you seem to be doing  _ great! _ ” 

“ _ Kote lo’shebs’ul narit.”  _ Cody snarls, turning away from Rex and opening the steel door, preparing himself to go and face Vader one again.

“Oh and Rex? Sometimes I really wish you had of died on Umbara, at least then you wouldnt be fucking everything up for me.” 

Cody walks out, ignoring the devastated expression in Rex’s eyes, he shuts his eyes, almost running away from the closed room. Something inside Rex’s eyes has shattered, and their bond between them is fractured. Deep down Cody knows, he won't ever be seeing Rex again.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> IM SORRY, I just have a lot of feelings. Plus one of my discord friends inspired me to create this shitstorm- 
> 
> Feel free to scream at me on here or on tumblr!!! (@forestgreengirl)
> 
> Mando’a translations:  
> • Kote lo’shebs’ul narit - you can keep your glory. 
> 
> \- forestgreengirl


End file.
